Meat Industry Ireland (MII), the Ibec sector organisation representing the country’s main primary beef processing companies, has welcomed the resumption of beef exports to China.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, made the announcement earlier today that beef exports to China would resume after being suspended for nearly three years.

In May 2020, China stopped beef imports from Ireland after an atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) case was detected here. It did not enter the food chain and did not pose any risk to human health.

Stringent efforts have continued since to regain approval for Irish beef exports to China.

Welcoming the news, MII chair Philip Carroll said: “The resumption of beef exports to China is a long awaited and welcome decision and will widen the scope for beef exports over the coming years. 

"The decision in 2020 to temporarily suspend trade was due to a single case of atypical BSE that was detected by the Department [of Agriculture, Food and the Marine] and notified to the Chinese authorities as part of the protocols associated with access to the Chinese market," he added.

Carroll explained that today's announcement will now enable companies to renew and further develop trade opportunities with customers in China which have been disrupted for the past two and a half years.

The MII representative said that beef processors will work with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to finalise the necessary steps so that trade can recommence quickly.